For Women Saving the World

At a peace summit in Vancouver, the Dalai Lama made an extraordinary statement when he said that the world will be saved by the western women. This proclamation created a tsunami of responses in cyberspace. Can you imagine? The Dalai Lama saying it will be women that will save the world? As remarkable as this was to many, it was “duh” moment for me. I thought, of course, it’ll be women. We purchase 85% of the consumer goods in the United States. We can do right now by what we buy – and don’t buy. That was my “ah-ha” moment. That’s when I decided to write and speak on this topic.
Let’s look at the numbers. It is estimated that American women spend about five trillion dollars annually. That’s over half of the US GDP. We purchase everything from autos to health care. Here are some quick stats on our purchases:

by Carolyn Parrs
This is Part 2 of 3 on "How the Collective Power of Women Can Change the World"
Read Part 1
QUICKIE QUIZ #2: On April 26, 1777, who rode through the towns of New York and Connecticut warning everyone that the British were coming, and gathered enough volunteers to push back the British army the very next day? Not Paul Revere. It was Sybil Luddington who accomplished this feat at the ripe age of 16. Her ride was twice as long as Paul’s but unfortunately most of us never heard of it -- or her.
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” says poet, Maya Angelou. How important it is for us to be invited to the table – especially now. “The fortunes of nations are inextricably tied to the fortunes of women,” says Hillary Rodham Clinton in the foreword to The International Human Rights of Women. “It is this simple: where women flourish, her families flourish. And where families flourish, communities and nations flourish. Issues affecting women and their families are not ‘soft’ issues to be relegated to the sidelines of serious debate, rather, they are among the hardest and most important issues we face.”

No sunlight. No fresh air. Enclosed in darkness to plump up in an insanely artificial way. That’s the reality for most chickens being farmed today. And if the farmers under contract with the Big Boys do not agree to raise their livestock that way, “They hold their contract over their heads,” says third generation chicken farmer, Carole Morison. She was mad as hell and just couldn’t take it anymore.

Be the Change

Stories from our community on being the change we need in the world.

[caption id="attachment_3365" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Susan Collins, a senator from Maine, started the group that led to the eventual reopening of the government"][/caption]

The government shutdown is finally over — at least until the next time the budget clock runs out. It seems that a lot of stubbornness made that mess. According to reports from Capital Hill, it seems that the women in the Senate were the ones that cleaned it up. They were willing to go across party lines to reach a solution. An article in Huffpost Women illuminates the situation.

It’s funny how starting with a simple idea to make little things can grow to where it bumps up against big things.

When I see something like the recent controversy over the US Olympic team uniforms made overseas, I compare it to my experience with my company, Teres Kids. I started my company to make the world’s most comfortable children’s clothing.

The clearest path to super comfortable clothes led to organic cotton, then to made in America, then to superior quality, incredible durability, and – Presto! – outstanding consumer value.

I truly believe the reason my work has been so successful is because it’s infused with my passion for life – passion born from a place of deep compassion, for all creatures and our beautiful Mother Earth. My collectors can feel this and have expressed how deeply inspired they are by the love built into every design and how good it feels to wear jewelry and support a company that celebrates life, by honoring ethical practice and raising awareness.

My interest in the environment developed from a childhood spent mostly outdoors. Countless hours riding my horse bareback deep into the wooded hills near my home – never failed to return me to my souls essence. Nature was my altar as much then, as it is today. It’s the place where I can hear and feel my heart’s wisdom; not only does it inspire my creativity, but anchors it. My relationship with animals is no different. They are so pure, present and without judgment – I always feel relaxed in their company, like I can really be myself and love without constraint.

When you love something unconditionally, it is natural to want to do anything in your power to protect it. My real work as an artist is to spread compassion and bring awareness to the suffering innocent, and the abusive practices that are detrimentally impacting our Earth. As a business owner and entrepreneur, I feel a responsibility to affect positive change in my immediate environment – and on a global level. Implementing ethical practice in business requires a lot of research, attention to detail, and in many cases extra expense – but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I get to stand behind (and in front of) a company that brings more beauty into the world, while helping eliminate what is not so beautiful. My dedication to this level of integrity has also created amazing opportunities to collaborate with bigger companies making a powerful impact socially and environmentally.

For years, one of the biggest roadblocks for going green is the price. Typically green or organic goods can be anywhere from 20 to 50 percent more. So unless you’re a die hard greenie, chances are you’ll pass up the organic kitty litter for the more conventional type. Not any more. Thanks to Karen Schiff, a woman who knows the art of green deal, There’s EcoBunga, an online directory that lists hundreds of green giveaways and deals everyday. From hybrid cars to organic foods. And since the site’s launch in 2008, Karen has personally reviewed thousands of green promotions, screening each one to ensure that the listing is truly green and truly a deal before publishing it online.

The balance of the masculine and the feminine is my mantra on Women Of Green. With the recent (or not-so-recent) oil spill, we see the extreme need for this more than ever. My heart burst open every day watching our waters be turned into a toxic soup of sorrow. With that, I share the blog post below by Avivah Wittenberg-Cox. It shines a light on an important view on the BP story that has not been covered in the current news.

– Carolyn

One year ago, BP’s most senior woman left the company. Vivienne Cox was the head of the company’s renewable energy business. A lifelong proponent and pusher of sustainability issues, she was one of the many women to leave the company after the current CEO Tony Hayward took over from Lord Brown, something 20-first.com reported on at the time. Watching the current debacle and the culture that created it, one wonders had she and the other women stayed, would BP be in its current mess?

My guest today is working hard along with thousands of other volunteers on containing the spew with hair – human hair, dog hair, even alpaca hair. This nationwide effort is lead by the not-for-profit organization, Matter of Trust, that turns the collected hair into oil collection mats and tubes. And so far they’ve collected hair from thousands of individuals and over 40,000 businesses have signed up.

This podcast is on location at a local salon in Santa Fe. Melodi Wyss-Feliciano, the owner of Rock Paper Scissor Salonspa, is leading the way in New Mexico and has collected boxes and boxes of hair not only from her salon, but others in New Mexico. Yesterday, she added my hair. What about yours? Think of it, your strands seeping up the sludge. It’s a beautiful thing.